Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-03-04
UNITED STATES COURT.
THE ORANGE COUNTY MOONSHlNER;
ON TRIAL.
The Four Celebrated Magoon Brothers
the Respondents-Lore Turns states
Evidence-Two Cousins Arrested as
Accomplices and Another for
Contempt of Court.

directors of the First National bank of st
Adams The court reserved its decision
1t was expected that the trial of lIdsol
MagoOn would be begun at $3.50, but OWN.
to the absence of some of the witnesses /
was postponed until afternoon and re
cess was taken until II o'clock. Whel
this hour arrived there were arraignet
in court William and Asa Magoon o
Grange, Edsons brothers. and Moses. 81
las and Elijah Magoon, all of Corinth
cousins of the first three, all of whom
were arrested on the charge of Illicit dis
tlllng. Owing to some formalty it was
impossible to give the accused an oppOr
tunity to plead and recess was taken un
til l3O p m
The four Magoons who We're arraigned
yesterday were arrested Thursday even
ing and were brought to the jail in this
city late that night by United States Mar
shall Robinson and Special Deputy Mar
shall c. f. smith OF TOpsham. 1t appears
from the indictments that the Magoons
are charged with having run distilleries in
Orange, Corinth and Chelsea, and disstiil-
ed cider brandy. Loren and Charles were
arrested last November and were bound
over to the February term. Edison was
arrested Dec. %.
William Magoon was arrested on bench
warrant for contempt of court in not
answering subpoena calling upon him to
appear as witness in the present trial.
At the opening of court in the afternoon
Silas, Moses, Asa and Elijah were ar
raigned and pleaded not guilty The court
then proceeded with the trial of Edison
Magoon and the following jury was EN-
panelled f.. II. Jacobs, Sumner Hawley.
o. j. Tomlinson, Michael Quinlan, Ebert
II. Nash, Josiah Dupaw, William II. Har-
man, James II. Douglass, f. j. Goodrich,
Cyrus Van Nliet, Levi Ellis, Henry Law
renee.
In beginning the case District ATTORNEY
Haskins Said that the prosecution eX-
pected to prove that Edison had beel,
guilty of Illicit distilling, 1t was the duty
OF any one opening still to register il
with the collector of internal revenue,
stating the name and residence of the
owner and where it was to be used. The
owner was also required TO Xecu;e bond
that he would not move any of the liquor
until 1t was properly gagged and stamped
The prosecution expected to prove that
Edison Magoon had not complied with the
law. The first witness was George /,
Spear of Montpelier, collector of internal
revenue, who said that he had been in
that office since year ago last June
Edison Magoon never filed bond with
him and no bond had been delivered to
him by his predecessor, Mr.. Stearns. Wit
ness had had three interviews with the
authorities were certain he had run dis
tillery in Chelsea said he did not deny
that he had there. but he never run one
anywhere else
The next witness, d. B. McCrinnis of
Corinth, testified thatas Asa Magoon hired
a place from him and Edison went there to
live in February or March 1855 and staid
about year. Witness sold him twelve
barrels of cider each of which held about
40 gallons. Edison brought Il still there,
he got it at the residence of Asa, his
brother ; it was brought in the night from
Asa's place about six miles away. The
still included copper boiler which held
about 40 gallons and which was set on a
stove, with a cover. Some putty or
plaster of paris was to put around the edges
TO keep The steam in. The cider dis
titled was all bought Of witness EXCEPT
one barrel. Loren Magoon helped Edison
run the still night and day. Witness I'M
derstood Edison to say that he owned the
still. 1t was i'll the back room and there
were curtains to the windows.
On the cross examination witness said
he owed Loren Magoon when the still
was at his place. None of the distillng
was done for him and he had no interest
in IL. lie was never threatened NV the
officers with prosecution. Some of the
brandy was taken to New Hampshire.
Mrs. McCrinnis testified that she was
acquainted with the accused. He went to
their place IN March, 1850, and rented part
of their house. Edison Magoon brought
the still there one Saturday night and the
next Monday which was the 10th she went
to Montreal. On cross examination wit
ness said Edison had their team TO 90 after
the still
The next witness was Loren Magoon.
His mother was housekeeper for Edison
at the McCrinnis place He saw a still
there. Edison got it off Asa Nagoon. Wit
ness did not know that anyone else had
an interest in the still. lie came back
with Edison when the latter brought ii :;
it was nearly midnight when they
reached the McCrinnis place They put
the still in the back part of the house.
The still was composed of copper
boiler which holds about cask,
and about 40 feet of block tin pipe called
the worm, which was coiled in barrel !:
another pipe ran from the boiler to the
worm and in the latter the condemnation
took place. Water was run about the
worm to keep it cool. a 40 gallon cask
Of cider would make three gallons of cider
brandy. Witness worked with Edison and
they worked four casks in a night and
day. The windows were blinded with
quilts and curtains Witness had some of
the brandy for helping to run it and 10 or
- gallons went TO New Hampshire Her
bert Clapp saw the still running.
Witness saw Edison run a. still in the
fail 1884 in Orange where witness now
lives. 1t was same still that was used
at McCrinnis's place. Witness helped run
it. Also ran it there twice last fall Ed
son took part of brand yand sold it at Tun-
bridge fair Edison moved still to his place
in night from Chelsea because Berry saw
it, and he became scared They also ran
a still in cellar of Mrs. Underhill's house
in Chelsea. Edison told witness he re-
ceived 81 a cask.
On the cross examination witness said
that no one had told him that if he would
turn States evidence that he would get
off easily He had no i'll feeling for Ed.
son, but had fuss with him. There had
been three stills seized from him, but he
did not own them. Witness started to
run with part of one because he was told
to get it out of the way if the officers
came Witness never owned an interest
in any still. The cross-examination con
tinued at great length, but nothing furth-
er of Importance was developed.
Mrs. Loren Magoon was the. next wit
ness. She was II years old. She saw a
still run on the King place where witness
now lives in the fall of 1885. 1t ran three
nights and four days. Waiter Bigsbee
saw il. Witness also saw it run there last